Pola de Allande

The previous night in Campiello I had made the decision to walk the Pola de Allande route, and Sarah decided to do this too. Not far from town there was a barn with cows lined up inside ready to be milked. Sarah talked with the owner in Spanish, and he let us say "buenos dias" to the cows.

In Campiello Sarah had mentioned the English saying "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning" -- no rain was in sight that day so not a red morning! Although the temperature warmed up in the afternoon, it was still nice walking weather. 

Hypnotic blue eyes

Sarah and I agreed the route to Pola was a good choice with a shady wooded path, grasslands, and lovely views of the valley below. The hospitalero in Campiello, however, told us that the mountain wildlife included bears, wolves, and wild boars. We didn't see any, but it would have been exciting!

The circular designs by this horreo's doorway may relate to pagan "sun disks." 

Asturian clogs, or madrenas, have elevated ridges underneath and are handy to navigate wet and muddy ground. Made by "madreneros," these shoes are worn over regular footwear and often have carved or painted designs. The ones above were seen near an horreo next to a house. The homeowners came out just as I took a picture of them -- Sarah explained we liked their shoes, and they seemed pleased!    

18th c. Iglesia de San Roche in Porciles -- the town's name translates as "storm." 

Electrical towers stretched across the landscape.

A mountain stream intersected the route, and several bridges helped keep our boots dry. By Puente en Colinas a memorial marker had been placed. The circular design under the name is the Celtic symbol for eternity. 

A bar/store at a house in Mortera sold the basics, such as pasta & olives.

A stately manor on the road into Pola -- perhaps the architecture reflects the "indiano" style, which was influenced by the region's emigrant past over a hundred years ago. During that time, people from Asturias emigrated to the Americas, including Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, & the U.S. They then brought back different architectural styles to Asturias.     

Albergue de Peregrinos de Pola de Allande -- a regionally run municipal albergue

The hospitalero checked us in soon after we arrived. He was Spanish but had gone to the University of Connecticut and while there saw Travis Knight play on U Conn's basketball team. Travis had been one of Dad's high school players in Ramona where he coached for 14 years. It really is a small world. Dad's birthday was on this day so nice to talk some hoops in his honor. Before I left for the walk we had a birthday dinner celebration since I would be gone on the 13th.

Wearing earplugs at night is crucial when staying in a room of sleeping walkers, where there can be loud snoring as was the case at the Pola albergue.

The albergue common room

Pola de Allande is nestled in the Cantabrian mountains with the Rio Nison running through the town. The river used to be known for its trout, but now no fishing is allowed. Also, this area is associated with gold mining. Sarah & I ate dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the river path.

In the center of town stood 16th c. Iglesia de San Andres.